Susanna J. Sturgis   Martha's Vineyard writer and editor
writer editor born-again horse girl

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Schrödinger's Bread

August 17, 2007

Used to be when I entered bread in the fair I'd deliver the goods to the Ag Hall by 8:30 on Thursday morning and be back by noon, soon after judging was completed and the hall opened for fairgoers, to see how I'd done.

Not this time. I did deliver the goods by 8:30 a.m., having preregistered in the nick of time on Monday. Used to be preregistration was recommended but not required. I never did, which meant I had to fill out my form on Thursday morning. A friend, also a baked-goods competitor, alerted me Monday that now preregistration was required, so down I went to the Ag Hall on Monday afternoon. The slips I attached to my two breads Thursday morning were preprinted: the Martha's Vineyard Ag Society fair is now computerized.

Other things hadn't changed, however. Kids of various sizes, male and female, stood in an eager line at the Ag Hall door, ready to receive entries and convey them to the appropriate place. The elegant wooden display cases used for junior and adult baked goods, have been in use since the fair was held at the much smaller old Ag Hall, now called the Grange Hall. Baked goods are still located at the far end of the hall, adults to the right of the door, juniors to the left.

But I didn't rush down at noon to check the results. The verdict was in whether I knew it or not; my knowing wouldn't change it. The cat is alive until you open the box to see if it's alive. . . . I'd won two ribbons, I'd won one, I'd won none: until I went down to the Ag Hall, all options were possible.

Today I knocked off work just after 1 p.m. I biked over to the Ag Hall (living relatively close by is good; riding a bike means you don't have to pay for parking). It didn't take long to find my breads in the display cases: the sourdough rye had won the yeast bread, dark category; the onion walnut had taken second in yeast bread, white. Despite the five-year layoff it seems I haven't lost my touch.

 

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